Animal-trap.



A. MARGHAND.

ANIMAL TRAP. APPLIUATION FILED NOV. 16

Patented J an 25; 1910.

ATTORNEYS ANDREW. u. GNAIuM so, PKOTD-LITHOGMVnERS. wnanmcrw. u

UNITED STATES ATENT AIaIlilXiS MAR'CHAND, or smeesrom, WASHINGTON.

- ANIMAL-Time.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALEXIS MAROHAND, a citizen of the United States, anda resident. of Bridgeport, in the county of Douglas and State ofWashington, have invented a form or floor upon which the animal stands,

is liberated by suitable trigger mechanism,

so that the platform or floor swings downwardly to leave the animal in aseparate lower compartment, which, if desired, may contain water inwhich the animal, is drowned. Various forms of traps of this characterhave been designed, and in some of these there has been provided an openended chamber having means for supporting bait adjacent the inner end ofthe chamber, and having the floor of the trap formed of a main pivotedsection and a smaller trigger section carried thereby.

One of the main objects of my invention is to provide an improved flooror platform in which the main section is hinged adjacent the open end ofthe chamber, and in which the trip or trigger section is also hinged atthe edge thereof toward the open end of the chamber, so that the animalin traveling into the chamber will encounter no obstacle or obstructionin'passing from the main sectionto the trigger section.

A further object of the invention is to provide certain improvements inthe locking mechanism, for firmly holding the mainsection in positionuntil it is released by the operation of the trigger section.

A further object of the invention is to so support the bait that theodor thereof may readily escape, yet the animal cannot reach the baiteither from the inside or the outside of the trap.

A further object is to so construct the trap that it may be readilyplaced in an aperture in the cover of a bucket, barrel or box,

and its accidental removal or lateral dis-v placement will be prevented.I 1 Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a partof this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicatecorresponding ,parts in all the figures, and in which- V Figure 1 isaside elevation of a trap constructed in accordance with my inventionSpecification'ot Letters Iatent. Patented J an, 25, 1910. Q

and supported upon a vessel, a portion of which is broken away; Fig. 2is a vertical longitud nal section through the trap; Fig. 3 1s ahorizontal section; Flg. 4 1s. an end View of the closed end of thetrap; Fig. 5 is an end View of the open end of the trap;

Fig. 6 isa transverse section on the line 6 6 OfF-lg. 2; and Fig. 7 1s aview similar to a portion of Fig. 2, but showing a slightly modifiedform of trigger mechanism.

My improved trap is provided with a i chamber 10, into which the animalto be captured may enter, said chamber having oppositely-disposedsubstantially parallel side walls 11, a top wall 12, and an inner endwall 13. The floor of thischamber includes'a pivoted platform or section14, constituting a trip door and having locking mechanism for normallysupporting it at its inner free end, so that a mouse or other animal instepping upon. the bodyof the floor or section will not depress thesame. The section 14 is of a width substantially equal to the width ofthe chamber, and ad j acent the entranceend of the chamber it isprovided with upwardly-extending lugsl5 pivoted to the side walls 11.Intermediate theopen endof the chamber and the lugs 15, theseotioncarries a downwardly and inwardly-curved wall 16, all portions'of which are of equal distances from the pivots extendingthrough thelugs 15. At the side edges of the section 14:, the curved wall 16 isconnected by sector-shaped plates17, and these plates, together with thecurved wall '16, constitute a weight for counterbalancing the weight ofthe remaining portion of the section, and returning the section to itsnor-1 mal posltion after 1t has been depressed by an animal. The curvedwall and the side plates serve not only as a counterbalancjngweight,butalso serve to close thecommunication between the space belowthe section and the chamber 10 at theopen end of said chamber, when saidsection is depressed.

thus positively prevent any animal previouslycaught and deposited in thelower chamber, from escaping beneath the front end of the section 14,when the inner end is depressed during the capture ofa second animal.The main section 14 of the movable flooror platform is provided with anapertime 18 therein adjacent its inner end, and a second platformsection 19 is pivoted at the sideof thisopening which is nearest totheentrance opening of the chamber 10. The section 19 normally inclinesupwardly toward its outer end and lies at a slight angle to the mainsection, but the two sections are connected together at the inner end ofthe section 19, so that no obstruction or resistance is encountered bythe animal in entering the trap.

Within the chamber 10 and pivoted adjacent the lower edge of the endwall 13, is a catch or lever 20 which normally supports the section 14and prevents it from swinging downwardly while the animal is enteringthe trap. This catch has a hook portion 21 for engagement beneath adownwardly-turned flange 22 on the section 14, and below this hookportion is a rearwardlycurved terminal portion 23, the purpose of whichwill be hereinafter set forth. The catch terminates at its upper end andabove its pivot in a forwardly-extending lug or stud 24, for limitingthe upward movement of the section 14 and swinging the catch intooperative position. Pivoted to the under side of the section 14 is abell crank lever 25, one end of which normally engages with and supportsthe trigger section 19 intermediate the ends of the latter, and theother end of which engages with the lever 20 adjacent the catch portion21. As the animal enters the chamber 10, he may safely pass over themajor portion of the section 14 until he steps upon the section 19. Adownward movement of the section 19 swings the bell crank lever 25 toforce the catch 21 from beneath the flange 22, and both sections thenswing downwardly as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2. As soon as theanimal slips off the section into the lower chamber or compartment, andthe platform or floor of the section 10 is relieved of the weight of theanimal, said floor or platform swings upwardly under the action of theweights 16 and 17 until the free end of the section strikes theforwardly-extending projection 24. The contact with this section swingsthe catch portion 21 into operative position, and the parts are lockedin position ready for the advent of another animal.

In case the catch 21 should swing back to the position shown in solidlines in Fig. 2 before the section 14 has returned to the p0 sitionshown in solid lines, then the engagement of the rear of the sectionwith the curved portion 23 of the catch, will swing the latter out ofthe path of the rising sec tion until after the section reaches itsproper position and contacts with the projection 24 to return the catchinto operation.

For storing the bait and preventing it from being eaten by the animalseither be fore or after they are caught, I provide a bait chamber 26formed by the end wall 13, a second end wall 27, extensions 28 of theside walls 11, a bottom 29 in alinement with the movable section 14, anda hinged cover 30. The end wall 27 is provided with a plurality ofapertures 31 through which animals 011 the exterior of the trap maysmell the bait, and the end wall 13 is also provided with similaropenings 32, which. serve to induce the animal to enter the chamber 10.Extending through the bait co1npartment but out of communication withthe interior thereof, is a central passage 33 in axial alinement withthe chamber 10 and serving not only for the admission of light to theinner end of the chamber, but also permitting the mouse while enteringthe chamber to face the light and have his attention distracted from anyunevenness or irregularity in the floor, which might otherwise cause himto become suspicious. The bait compartment may be readily re-filled orcleaned by raising the hinged closure 30.

The side walls 11 of the chamber 10 extend a considerable distance belowthe tloor 14, and the portions of these side walls below said floor mayconnect by end wall portions 34 and The portions of the trap below thefloor 14 are adapted to extend.

down into an aperture A in the top wall B of any suitable form ofcontainer or lower chamber C, as illustrated particularly in Figs. 1 and2. The weight of the trap is supported by the engagement of the bottomwall 29 of the bait compartment at one end and by a laterally-extendingflange or plate 36 at the opposite or entrance end. This flange or plateis rigidly connected to the downwardlv-extending wall 34 and is inalinement with the movable section 14.

One of the main features of the specific form of trap illustrated inFig. 2, is the hinging of the main section 14 adjacent the entranceopening of the trap, in combination with the second section hinged tothe main section at the edge toward the entrance opening. This featuremay be embodied in a somewhat diiferent form, as shown in Fig. 7. Inthis figure, the main section 14 carries a tripping section 19 hinged atthe edge toward the entrance opening of the trap and having adownwardly-extending arm or flange 37 carrying a locking pin 38 and a.counterbalancing lever 39. The lever 39 is rigid with the section 19 andextends toward the open end of the trap and its movement is restrictedand controlled by an inclosing guide or staple 40. The locking pin 38extends in a direction opposite to that of the arm 39 and is guided bythe downwardly-extending flange 22 of the main section. The end wall 13of the chamber is provided with a downwardly-extending flange or tongue41, having an aperture into whlch the locking pin 38 may enter tonormally hold the platform in position. As

the animal steps on the section 19 the free edge of the latter is swungdownwardly to counterbalance the arm 39 and the pin38 is withdrawn topermit the downward movement of both floor sections.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent:

1. An animal trap, including a chamber having an open end, a floorhinged adjacent the open end and having an opening therein, a platformfor closing said opening and hinged to the floor at the end of theopening toward the open end of the chamber, a pivoted catch. adjacentthe free end of the floor; having a hook portion for engagement beneaththe edge of the floor and an outwardly-curved terminal portion formoving said hook portion out of the path of the floor during the upwardmovement of the latter, a forwardly-extending lug or Stud carried bysaid catch and in the path of the lioor to limit the upward movement ofthe latter and return the catch into operative position beneath thefloor, and a bell crank lever pivoted to the under side of said flooradjacent the free end thereof and having one arm thereof in engagementwith the under surface of said platform and having the other arm thereofin operative'engagenient with said catch.

2. An animal trap, including a floor section pivoted at one end, apivoted catch adjacent the opposite end of said floor and having a hookportion for engagement beneath the edge of the floor and an out- Wardlycurved, terminal portion for moving said hook portion out of the path ofthe 7 floor during the upward movement of the latter, a lever pivoted tothe under side of said floor adjacent the free end thereof and havingone arm thereof adjacent the catch and operating to push the latter frombeneath the floor, and a platform carried by said floor and movable inrespect thereto and in engagement with the other arm of said lever.

3. An animal trap, including a chamber having sheet metal walls and topand having one open end, a floor hinged adjacent the open end, a. baitboX constituting a closure for the OPPOSite end of said chamber, said rbait box having a closure for the top there of, an open-ended tubeextending through said bait box and out of communication with theinterior thereof and in general alinement with the chamber, said baitbox having openings through the wall which separates said bait box fromsaid chamber, means adjacent the lower edge of said wall for normallysupporting said floor, and means for withdrawing said supporting means.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

ALEXIS MARCHAND.

Witnesses:

CLAIR W. FAIRBANK, JOHN P. DAVIS.

